Device for guiding a flat paint brush

ABSTRACT

A flat paint brush is guided in a device which comprises a base plate and a guide plate pivotally mounted on the base plate for pivoting parallel to the brush plane. The base and guide plates are interconnected by a pivot pin. One end of the pivot pin is rectangular and frictionally engaged in a like opening in the guide plate while the other pivot pin is oval and frictionally engaged in a like oval slot portion in the base plate, which slot portion extends from the outer edge of the base plate, with an elongated slot portion extending upwardly therefrom. A cover plate larger than the pivot ends is mounted over each end.

United States Patent [19] Deck et al.

[451 July 23, 1974 DEVICE FOR GUIDING A FLAT PAINT BRUSH [76] Inventors: Fritz Deck, Gellertstrasse 25;

Norbert Keim, Karl-Schurz-Strasse 40, both of Karlsruhe, Germany 22, Filed: Dec. 27, 1972 211 Appl. No.: 318,879

.52 U-S-,.C!=.-.-- '1 24.!,1 i. 1,, 2 4/ 3 51 Int. Cl A46b 17/00, B44d 3/22 [58] Field of Search 15/166, 246, 248 R, 248 A; 16/171; 24/208 A, 217; 401/193 [56] References Cited 9/1922 Germany 16/171 l/l958 Germany 2/1952 15/248 A Sweden 15/248 R [5 7 ABSTRACT A flat paint brush is guided in a device which comprises a base plate and a guide plate pivotally mounted on the base plate for pivoting parallel to the brush plane. The base and guide plates are interconnected by a-pivot pin. One end of the pivot pin is rectangular and frictionally engaged in a like opening in the guide plate while the other pivot pin is oval and frictionally engaged in a like oval slot portion in the base plate, which slot portion extends from the outer edge of the base plate, with an elongated slot portion extending upwardly therefrom, A cover plate larger than the pivot ends is mounted over each end.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1318 IFL 1 DEVICE FOR GUIDING A FLAT PAINT BRUSH The present invention relates to improvements of the painting device disclosed and claimed in our US. Pat. No. 3,401,418, dated Sept. 17, 1968, whose disclosure is incorporated herein as part of the present disclosure on the base plate for pivoting parallel to the brush plane. The brush guide including the base plate maybe of one piece and comprises atrough-shaped portion receiving a spring, the guideplate having an'inner edge extending into the trough-shaped portion, and the spring ends abutting the inner guide plate edge and a shoulder in the trough-shaped portion, respectively. The brush guide further comprises aclamp for clamping the guide to a handle for the brush. The guide plate preferably. is more or less semi-circular.

Painting is effected with this device by guiding the outer edge of the guide plate along a ruler or an edge of the area to be painted and simultaneously pressing the paint-applying end portion of the brush against this area. This causes the outer edge of the guide plate to beretracted against the spring bias so that the brush can apply paint-to the area. However, it has been found that, during the operation of such a device, paintpenetrates to the spring and, after-the paint dries on the spring, it affects its elasticity so that retraction'of the guide plate will be inhibited. After a while, therefore, the device becomes useless.

It is the primary object of this invention to obviate this disadvantage and toenable the guide plate to retract resiliently without the use of a spring in the open trough-shaped portion of the. base plate.

This object is accomplished according to the invention by providing a base plate which defines a slot means consistingof an initial oval portion adjacent the outer edge thereof and an elongated slot portion extending inwardly from the oval portion, and a guide plate defining a polygonal opening in register with the oval slot means portion. The synthetic resin pivot pin has one end of oval cross section generally conforming to the oval slot means portion and frictionally engaged therein, and another end of polygonal cross section generally conforming to the polygonal opening and frictionally engaged therein. A cover plate extending beyond the circumferences of the pivot ends is mounted over each pivot pin end.

If desired, the brush holder or handle and the base plate, including its trough-shaped portion, clamp and an operating lug,may be produced of synthetic resin in one piece.

This joumalling of the pivot pin causes the guide plate to be resiliently retracted upon pivoting and/or pressure, the oval end of the pivot tending to return to its original position in the conforming oval slot means portion.

The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a now preferred em- 2 bodiment thereof, taken .in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein FIG. 1 is atop elevational view of .the paint brush guiding device, without the .pivot pin;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectionthrough.thebase plate of the device;

FIGQ3 is a side elevational view-of the pivot pin; FIG. 4 is a section along-line IV-IVofFIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a section along line VV of FIG. l including the pivot pin. 1

Referring now tO5th drawing, the base portion 13 of thepaint brush guiding deviceis shown .tohave a resilient clamp 'l8-sothat-the device may be snappedonto a handle for the paintbrush. As more particularly shownand explained in our above-mentioned patent, this portion comprisesa base plate or guide plate carrier 16 whence extends a trough-shaped portion '17. The clamp 18 projects from theend of the "troughshaped portion andlan operatinglug 19 projects oppositely thereto toenable theguide to be readily moved,

all as explained fullyinour'patent.

According to'thisinvention, the'base plate .16 defines a slot means-consisting of an initial ovalopeningportion 23 adjacent the outer edge 27 of'the-baseplate and an elongated slot portion 22 extending inwardly from the oval portion aconcentric, but larger, undercut 26 subtends opening 23. In operation, the brush guiding device is so mounted in respect of the brush that the slot means extendsparallel to the brush axis,theouter edge 27 extending perpendicularly thereto.

The guide .plate 12 is substantially parallel to, and

spacedfrom, the base plate 16 and defines apolygonal opening 11 in register with the oval slot means portion 23, the illustrated opening being rectangular.

Pivot pin 14, of synthetic .resin, mounts the guide plate 12 on base plate 16 for pivoting parallel to the base plate,the outer edge 21 of the guide plate extending usually perpendicularly to thebrush axis and be yond the outer edge 27 of the base plate. The pivot pin has one end 24 of oval cross section generally conforming to the oval slot means portion 23 and frictionally engaged therein, while the other pivot pin end 25 is of polygonal cross section generally conforming to the polygonal opening 11 and frictionally engaged therein.

Cover plates 28 and 29 extending beyond the circumferences of the pivot ends are mounted on the respective pivot pin ends, the diameter of cover plate 28 being such that it may pass through the polygonal opening 1 1.

In assembling the device in the manner shown in FIG. 5, the pivot pin 14 is passed through the polygonal opening 11 of the guide plate 12 and the pivot pin end 25 is frictionally engaged with the opening 11 so as to fix thepivot pin to'the guide plate. The oval pivot pin end 24 is now pressed into the oval slot means portion 23 of the base plate 16 whereby the guide and base plates are interconnected.

When pressure is exerted upon the outer edge 21 of the guide plate to cause pivoting thereof, the oval pivot pin end 24 is turned in its oval slot means 23 to widen the same, this widening being made possible by the slot 22 extending from 23. As soon as this pressure is terminated, the resiliency of slot means 22, 23 immediately causes the oval pivotpin end 24 to return to its original position. No other spring means is accordingly required to keep the guide plate in its normal position and/or to enable it to be retracted.

We claim: 1. A device for guiding a flat paint brush, comprising a. one of the pivot pin ends being of oval cross section generally conforming to the oval slot means portion and frictionally engaged therein, and b. the other pivot end being of polygonal cross section generally conforming to the polygonal cross section frictionally engaged therein; and v 4. a cover plate extending beyond the circumferences of the pivot ends mounted over each of said ends.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the base plate isof synthetic resin and is integral with a trough-shaped portion extending therefrom, a clamp on the troughshaped portion, and an operating lug on the base plate projecting oppositely to the clamp. 

1. A device for guiding a flat paint brush, comprising
 1. a base plate having an outer edge, the base plate defining a slot means consisting of a. an initial oval portion adjacent the outer edge and b. an elongated slot portion extending inwardly from the oval portion;
 2. a guide plate substantially parallel to, and spaced from, the base plate and defining a polygonal opening in register with the oval slot means portion;
 3. a pivot pin of synthetic resin for pivotally mounting the guide plate on the base plate for pivoting parallel to the base plate, the pivot pin having two ends, a. one of the pivot pin ends being of oval cross section generally conforming to the oval slot means portion and frictionally engaged therein, and b. the other pivot end being of polygonal cross section generally conforming to the polygonal cross section frictionally engaged therein; and
 4. a cover plate extending beyond the circumferences of the pivot ends mounted over each of said ends.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the base plate is of synthetic resin and is integral with a trough-shaped portion extending therefrom, a clamp on the trough-shaped portion, and an operating lug on the base plate projecting oppositely to the clamp.
 2. a guide plate substantially parallel to, and spaced from, the base plate and defining a polygonal opening in register with the oval slot means portion;
 3. a pivot pin of synthetic resin for pivotally mounting the guide plate on the base plate for pivoting parallel to the base plate, the pivot pin having two ends, a. one of the pivot pin ends being of oval cross section generally conforming to the oval slot means portion and frictionally engaged therein, and b. the other pivot end being of polygonal cross section generally conforming to the polygonal cross section frictionally engaged therein; and
 4. a cover plate extending beyond the circumferences of the pivot ends mounted over each of said ends. 